344 . Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 June, 1919. 



Type Improving. 



Ill inspecting the birds wliicli competed in the 191S-19 tests, it was 

 gratifying to find that very few weedy or undersized specimens were in- 

 cluded. In white leghorns, the size showed an improvement, and type 

 and general characteristics of the breed wore more in evidence. The 

 jjoultry breeders have evidently recognised the value of type, size, constitu- 

 tion, and have not had wholly in view the chances of egg-production. 

 That they are right in their change of opinion goes without saying. 

 Lacking size and constitution, it is practically impossible for a bird to 

 produce either eggs of standard size or young birds which are suitable 

 for breeding from. 



xVlthough an improvement can be noted in the birds which are com- 

 peting in the 1919-20 test at Burnley, there is still room for a further 

 advance in this direction. Competitors should avoid the inclusion of 

 weak, under-sized, or badly-shaped birds in the breeding stock, and while 



First Prize Winners — Test for Heavy Breeds (Wet Mash). 

 Laid 1,306 eggs. Owned by Hall's Egg Farm. 



a bird with these faults may chance to be a prolific egg-producer, it is 

 certainly not advisable to include her in the stud flock. If constitution, 

 type, and size are neglected, it is only a matter of time when the utility 

 or laying-strain birds will develop into weaklings of neither use nor 

 ornament. 



Feeding. 



The cost of feeding the 750 birds for the year worked out at about 

 8s. 8d. each. The gross return from each bird averaged £1 Os. 5^d, leav- 

 ing a balance of lis. 94d. over the cost of feeding. These figures from 

 such a big number of birds must be regarded as very satisfactory, and, 

 although the price of the food was high, the favorable average price of 

 Is. 3d. per dozen for eggs compensated for the extra expenditure. 



The birds were all given a liberal allowance of food. It has been 

 proved beyond doubt that if a bird iis a prolific and regular egg-producer, 

 she must also be a heavy feeder. For this reason the ration provided 



